A/N: sorry for any delays again. The migraines are biting hard.
A/N2: it grew again! Flipping Roderick... But I managed to fit in something for Serenity's Lady.

Part 23

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Roderick's look of sheer disgust as he viewed the caller ID made Martha want to giggle, and she barely held in her mirth when he practically threw the phone at Donna.

"It's Daisy! Please tell her I can't speak to her now," he requested.

"What!" Donna protested as she grappled to catch his phone as it bounced off her fingers, and then pressed 'receive'. "Hello Daisy... Yes it's me... No, you haven't rung the wrong number; this is definitely Roddy's phone." She paused to roll her eyes at Martha to convey her exasperation. "I'm answering because he is unavailable at the moment... He can't speak to you... I don't know! You'll have to ask him why... Look, it's no good going off on one at me because it won't make him want to talk to you any quicker."

'Bloody well talk to her!' Donna mouthed at Roderick.

He merely waved his hands at her in a shooing motion. 'No, I am enjoying this too much,' he mouthed back.

Now seething, Donna returned her attention to Daisy still ranting on the other end of the line. "Daisy, can I pass on a piece of advice to you? Put a new bloke on your Christmas list because the one you've got is faulty... Yes, I did mean that. Let's face it, love; he could have been with you at this party but he isn't, he's with me... Yes, I did say 'party'. We're at Martha's... Ooh, you've heard of her." She took the chance to shoot Martha a look of conspiratorial glee. "I have to go now, can't talk. Apparently I have men to ogle... Yes and the same to you. Bye!"

"What was that about ogling men?" Martha wondered, trying not to laugh.

Donna smirked back at her. "According to the delightful Daisy that's all I do. Who'd have thought? And as for you, Mister..." She handed Roderick back his phone, slamming it onto his palm. "Do your own dirty work in future. This is not Dumping Girls R Us!"

"Oh but Donna, you do it so well," he crooned with delight. The whole phone call had been highly amusing from his standpoint.

"Just don't," she warned, stabbing a finger towards him.

But to her annoyance he carried on grinning. "Are you really saying that you didn't enjoy saying that to her?"

"Well…" Donna had to concede that she had thoroughly enjoyed giving Daisy the flick. "Between us, I did; but don't tell her that."

"That's fine with me," Martha readily agreed. "All I want to know now is: why are you and Ricky so friendly? Is there something you should be telling me?"

Roderick held his hands up in surrender as he gulped down his drink. "Nothing to tell; so I'll leave you two ladies to it for a moment. Won't be long."

Donna waited until he had sauntered off before firing her question. "What's the deal between you and Ricky? And don't try to deny there isn't."

"I…" Martha really didn't want to reveal this piece of information, but she'd already seen the sort of damage Donna could wreak upon someone. "I accidentally slept with him once," she near whispered.

"Accidentally?! How the hell do you accidentally sleep with someone?" Donna demanded to know. "Was it a swingers party or something?"

"No! No, God no," Martha hastily denied. "I was drunk." When Donna looked sympathetic, she continued, "It was after a New Year's party we all went to. John kissed me Happy New Year but I ended up in bed with Ricky when…"

"He took advantage," Donna finished knowingly. "That explains a lot, to be honest; and why he finds you so memorable. Did John know?"

"Good God no," Martha gasped with feelings of relief. "Ricky vowed it would remain between us; so you are not to say anything."

"Cross my heart." Donna dutifully dragged her finger over her chest in a cross shape.

"There you are!" John cried out as he entered the kitchen and made straight for Donna. Almost bouncing in his excitement, he held up his hands apologetically, keeping them well away from her body. "Sorry about the oil but we were fine tuning Jack's engine. You should see it," he continued, with a happy grin. "It's as sweet as a nut!"

"Did I hear my name being mentioned?" Jack asked as he too appeared, wiping his hands on a cloth. "Why, hi Ricky!" he greeted Roderick as soon as he saw him.

"Hello Jack! Good to see you," Roderick replied and held out his hand to shake.

Jack slightly bypassed that by grabbing hold of Roderick's hand to use it as a means to pull him in closer, and then Jack gently cradled Roderick's face as he planted a loving kiss smack on the lips.

The other onlookers merely giggled at the action whilst Donna gasped in surprise. She hadn't expected that.

"That's typical Jack," Martha commented to Donna. "Put him down! You don't know where he's been," she mock warned Jack.

The warning was in vain because Jack did not relinquish his hold for some seconds. "Let go of my only chance to snog a handsome man?! Are you mad?" A cheeky grin was aimed straight back at Martha.

"Yes… well…," spluttered Roderick. With great care, he adjusted his sleeves and smoothed down his jacket. "I appreciate the compliment but I have other plans."

"On that note, we'd better be going. I have sheep to deal with before it gets dark," John interjected. "Where exactly did you leave your car, Donna?"

"Just down the lane near where I met you," she explained. Fortunately she was quite keen to get him on his own and find out some answers to her pressing questions.

"Ah, that should be no problem. What about you, Ricky?" John turned his attention onto his brother. "Do you need a lift or is your driver coming to get you?"

"I'll take up your offer, if I may," Roderick replied, glad to extract himself from Jack's attention. "No doubt I shall get the chance to see you two soon," he aimed towards both Martha and Jack, "but if not, merry Christmas."

Having said their goodbyes, the trio were soon on their way in John's Land Rover.

"That wasn't too bad, was it?" John commented to his passengers as he drove along. He then peered up at the sky despondently, "It looks like I've left it a bit late to leave. Donna, can I ask a favour? Would you give Ricky a lift back from the field? I need to see to the sheep."

"It's no problem," she answered distractedly as she gazed out at the countryside whooshing by.

"I could just as easily phone William," Roderick offered from the back seat, noting her general lack of enthusiasm.

She turned to reassure him, "It really is no problem. I'm just a bit tired. Sorry."

"So, what do we want to do this evening when I'm finished?" John threw out in an effort to brighten the general mood. "Any particular thoughts or plans?"

To his dismay, Donna shook her head and Roderick traded a sympathetic look with him via the rear view mirror.

"There's some paperwork to deal with after I've eaten with Dad and Daisy," Roderick glumly admitted. "I have to return to London first thing in the morning. It can't be avoided any longer."

"Really?!" John exclaimed. "That's a shame."

Roderick reached over and placed his hand on John's shoulder in consolation. "I'll make sure I come back up before Christmas. I intend to have my final plans to show you within the next couple of days for your approval."

Donna's Peugeot loomed up in the ever growing darkness, so John drew his car to a halt. "Thanks, Ricky," he gratefully replied.

Casting his gaze between the two people sat in the front, Roderick diplomatically queried, "Have you got your car key, Donna? I'll go and sit in your car while you say goodbye to John." Having waited for her to search through her pocket and hand the key over, he clasped John's shoulder. "Bye, brother! See you soon."

"Bye Ricky!" John called out as Roderick stepped away and climbed into Donna's car. He watched him in his mirror, waiting for the right moment to ask, "What's the matter, Donna? You've hardly said a word to me since I found you in the kitchen."

"Haven't I? You're probably right," she conceded. "I'm not sulking about you buggering off and leaving me without a word, before you think it. Instead, I've been wondering if I got the wrong end of the stick about us."

"What do you mean?" He frowned in confusion. "Not to sound rude but can we have the full-blown argument about this later, once I've dealt with the sheep?"

"Fine," she retorted, and opened the passenger door to climb out. "I'll book that into your diary. How long should I allow? Five minutes or the full half hour?"

He smiled despite himself as she scrambled out. "As long as you want me for. But honestly, Donna; what is this about?"

She regarded him with sadness. "Best get to your sheep, and I'll talk to you later," she stated. "I just wanted to know why you couldn't tell me you've been engaged. Bye!" And she shut the door before he could stammer out a word.

Sitting in Donna's car, Roderick saw her stomp towards him and John slowly drive away. Not much had been resolved then. "Do you want me to drive?" he suggested when she sat inside.

"No, I'm fine," she insisted, and then immediately stalled the car, swearing at it loudly.

"Then how about I come back to Jocasta's with you rather than you drive alone?" he proposed. "I can easily get William to pick me up from there."

"You don't have to," she countered, trying to hold back her tears.

Needing to offer her some comfort, he placed his right hand over her left one on the steering wheel. "I want to. I don't like the idea of you driving alone when you are upset."

The car started with no problem on the second attempt, so she pulled away. Roderick's voice had been so gentle, his demeanour so caring, that Donna easily agreed that him staying with her was a good idea. "And I suppose you should talk to Jocasta while you've got the chance," she added with a sniff.

"I should," he decided with a nod. "Ghosts from the past need to be laid to rest once and for all."

"Are you saying you don't love her anymore?" Donna queried. "But I thought…"

"Do we ever lose the person we first fall in love with? In a way we don't," he pondered. "But I fear I was in love with a dream, an ideal, if you will."

"Or perhaps all you need to do is fan the flames of your first love."

He laughed then with delight; a light, hearty laugh that she had only heard once before. "You are a romantic under all that bluff," he teased. "It doesn't work like that."

"Ah, you say that now," she countered, "but you'll change your tune when you properly fall in love."

"Like you have, with John," he softly spoke, adding in a brief tender touch to her cheek. "You're one of the lucky ones. I hope you realise that."

"Lucky!" she snorted in disbelief. "Is that what this is? No, you are well out of it, mate."

"Donna, for the record, I wish I had tried harder with you when you gave me the chance; but I was a complete idiot, as usual. Dad wanted…" He sighed deeply. "It doesn't matter what he wanted anymore."

"Roddy, you don't have to tell me this," she sympathised as they arrived outside the cottage that was her latest home.

"I know, but I want to clear the air between us, get it all out in the open." Then he frantically ran his fingers through his hair. "A lot has happened to me this weekend; there's so much to consider. I've done things I'm ashamed of, but it's too late to change them."

"Don't Roddy," she kindly tried to halt him.

"I have to say this! Please listen," he begged. "Despite me fighting it all this time, denying it and pushing you away, the fact is… I love you Donna. Please don't cry," he cooed, wiping away a tear for her with his thumb. "I won't act on it; I'll stop being a prat from now on, I promise. Truthfully, I don't deserve you. John does. When I found out today that he is my brother it was my boyhood dream come true."

"You bastard," she grumbled.